Race Across The World winner Caroline Bridge: “I’m no longer scared of being lonely”

It was one of the closet finals in Race Across The World history, with all four teams finishing within three hours of each other. But it was mum and son duo Caroline and Thomas Bridge who crossed the finish line first in Kanyakumari, on the southern tip of India – 14,000km from the starting point of the Great Wall Of China - and pocketing the prize money of £20,000.

While Thomas, 21, plans to spend his share of the winnings doing more travelling, Caroline has invested hers for now, as it was never about the money. Instead, she was determined to find her purpose in life again after dedicating the past 21 years to her family and she tells Saga Magazine that she’s done exactly that, and more.

Congratulations on your win! What made you decide to go on the show?

I saw a series a couple of years ago and I just knew it was the show for me and that I had to do it with Thomas. We were on a dog walk and I asked him to go on the show with me and he agreed.

Once I knew I wanted to do it, I actually wrote down, “I’m going to take part on Race Across The World and I’m going to win it!”  

I just knew it was destined for me as I was at a real crossroads in my life. We had just downsized, my dog had died and I no longer had my horse, so I wasn’t really sure what I was doing.

You’ve mentioned feeling lost and without a purpose after years of being a stay at home mum...

Yes, and it sort of consumes you and you can forget who you are. I adore being a mum and when Thomas was born I gave up my career to look after him and the house, and I loved it. Before Thomas was born, I had three jobs – I was a special needs nanny, I worked at Mercedes and I also cooked for a daycare centre.

I had a very busy life but when Thomas came along everything changed. I threw myself into being a mum and it was fantastic. But as he grew up, I felt I was no longer needed and I lost a lot of confidence and struggled to find a real purpose. So the thought of doing this show really excited me.

I had never been travelling before, I wasn’t part of the generation that went backpacking around the world after school or university. Thomas had done six months travelling around South America with friends and I wanted an experience like that.

Were there times you wanted to give up?

Oh absolutely, especially at the start. When we came last in the first leg, I just slumped down the wall, cried and said I couldn’t do it anymore. There were times when we both felt like that. If we missed a train or couldn’t get on a bus, it was quite hard, but as we went on, we learnt how to deal with it.

And we supported each other throughout especially when one of us was having a low moment. I remember once when Thomas was backpacking in South America and he’d had a bad day, he phoned me and I said to him, “Just have some rest and get a good night’s sleep and it will all be ok.”  

And he ended up saying the same phrase to me when I had a bad time on the trip.

Has the show brought you two closer?

We were always close but had more of a mother-son relationship and now I would say we are more like friends. We can tell each other anything and I think he’s got more respect for me now. Before, I guess he just saw me as a mum but now he can see I’m my own person, and that I’m very strong and determined.

And I saw a different side to him, he really opened up more and when he read out the letter he had written for me, I was so proud of him. He is dyslexic and dyspraxic so really struggles to write and also show his emotions. It was such a brave thing for him to do as he knew there would be millions of people watching.

Do you worry about how you’ll cope when Thomas moves out?

I know I’ll be fine. I’m going to start horse riding again, and my husband and I are going to go on more trips. I have a much more positive attitude now. I 'm not as frightened of being lonely.  There’s no reason for me not to do things that other people can do just because I’m older.

Tom and I are planning a trip to Kazakhstan, which was Tom’s idea. I had no clue about it! We’re not going to do any research, just be impulsive, speak to locals and explore.

What advice would you give to people who find themselves in a similar situation to you?

Throw stuff in a rucksack and go and see the world! If you’re reasonably fit and healthy, you can do anything. Stop thinking that your life has stopped or is over, there is so much more out there. It will really surprise you how kind and helpful people are.

Since the show has aired, I’ve had friends tell me they’ve also been struggling with knowing what do in life after either retiring or kids leaving home. And other people have said they’ve been inspired by me and want to challenge themselves more. I hope I’ve proved that age doesn't mean you're getting older and slower, and that you can still grab new opportunities.